can't access pictures

[fawall]

I keep all my pictures on an external hd. The last thing I did that seemed to work was convert some jpegs to tiffs using the process multiple files option of pse4. Now I can't read the "kodak picture" file on my drive, but I can read and access the other files.
My knowledge goes as far as running chkdsk on my external hd - and that came back okay.
I dl'd pse6 trial and want to play but need to get to my pictures. Can anyone help me or direct me to a place where I can get help with this?

thanks.

Angela

[genevh]

Not sure what you mean by "kodak picture" file. Is that a directory? or a file?

Can you see it if you look at it in Windows Explorer? (I'm assuming you're using Windows)

[fawall]

I can click on the drive, and then the folder named "kodak pictures". It then lists all of the files underneath (2006, for example) but it doesn't show the thumbnails of the files and when I try to click on one of the files in the list - my entire system is locked up. I have to go to the Windows Task Mgr and close that window to be able to do anything.
But if I click on any other folder on that drive, the folder opens and I can access all the files. I just don't have any idea what to do or where to get help...

[genevh]

OK...at least you can see what's in there. Next question then is, what happened to them. What extension are seeing on them now? i.e.: .jpg, .tif, etc.?

[fawall]

I can just see the folder names "2007", but no actual files.

[genevh]

Need to know what all the settings were that you used when converting those files.

[fawall]

I just chose to "process multiple files"
from a folder on my j drive
to another folder on my j drive
"convert to tiff" (from jpeg)
--I do this all the time, though usually its from a folder on my c drive to my j drive. I may have walked away and not watched them convert. I don't remember checking it.

Thanks for your help.

[fawall]

I tried to do the same thing again but this time clicked the "log error" button. However, for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to find and read the error that it generated!
I seem to only be able to get to that folder on the J drive through PSE.

[genevh]

OK...this seems a bit strange, then, if you've done this before and all of a sudden you're coming up with MIA files. You can't find either the JPG or TIF files? Or just the original JPG's? Have you tried a search on one of the file names using the Windows search function and tried finding them that way? And did anything happen to your PC during the conversion? It didn't reboot or anything like that during it?

[fawall]

The files are there, I just can't get to them through the folder system of my pc. Yesterday I uninstalled pse4/6 and reinstalled them and when it prompted me to backup the entire catalog I did. But any time I go to "my computer", c:, the system locks up and I can't choose any files. Same with "j". And they both happened after I ran the process multiple file option. I can't get my computer back to where it was before I chose that option.

I thought that maybe the system still thought it was "processing" on the j drive and by uninstalling pse it wouldn't, but that didn't work. Now I've really messed it up by having the same thing happen with c.

[genevh]

Not sure if this is it or not, but I found an AdobeDebug.txt file sitting under the C: drive. It's not in any folder, just there on the drive. See if you can see that and read it.

You mentioned you have PSE4 and are also running a trial version of PSE6? It is possible to have both on the machine at the same time, but you cannot run them both at the same time.

I seem to remember my PC having that same problem a while back and that it took a Windows repair in order to fix it. But, there is something else you can try that is not difficult to do, and that is a System Restore. This is assuming you are running Windows XP, also.

In order to do a System Restore, go through Start -> Help and Support. In the "Pick a Task" section of Help and Support click on "Undo changes to your computer with System Restore". In the next window, pick "Restore my computer to an earlier time" then click Next. This will bring up a calendar. The dates that are bold contain restore points applicable to that date. Pick a date with a restore point from before all this started happening. Click Next again. You will then get another box with all the warnings, etc. associated. If you are satisfied with the date you picked, click Next again and let the PC do its thing.

This will not uninstall any programs, nor will you lose any files created since the restore point you picked. Nor will it undo any file changes that have been made, either. What it does do is load in a backed up copy of your registry. Hopefully, what is happening is nothing more than a registry corruption and this should fix it. Unfortunately, any programs installed since the restore point you picked may no longer function and will need reinstalled. What we are looking for is access to those files you converted and the originals, and to stop the PC from locking up when you look at your files.

Also, if you are using Norton for your PC's security system, if you need to reinstall anything, shut Norton down for the installation. Sometimes it doesn't play nice with software installations and can cause problems. Once the software is installed, you can then restart your Norton.

HTH - let us know how it goes! :)

[fawall]

Well, I couldn't restore to an earlier time at all. And installing updates didn't help. And I couldn't access c. So, I did a system restore and am now working. Just spending hours reloading and backin up!

BUT, I am happy because I can now get to my pictures.

Thanks for all of your help and concern. I have no one here who could help at all - I was on my own without your help! I really appreciate your time and thoughts.

[genevh]

I was hoping it wouldn't come to a system restore, but I'm glad you're up and working again and didn't lose anything!